System for the treatment of diseases of the human body by vacuum or air-pressure.



C. E. H. ARMBRUSTER. SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE HUMAN BODY BY VACUUM OR AIR PRESSURE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2.1914.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR. O. f. H Armrus fen WITNESSES:

THE CQLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm. WASHINGTON. n. C,

C. E. H. ARMBRUSTER.

SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE HUMAN BODY BY VACUUM 0R AIR PRESSURE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1914.

1,172,660. Patented Feb. 22,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WWW/WV/ 0 WITNESSES: I N VEN TOR.

1 5 GEH/Vmbrusfer W J B E COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, D, C

cnlmnns E. H. ARMBRUSTER, or. nnnynn, COLORADO.

SYSTEM FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES- or THE'HUMANJBODY BY VACUUM on AIR-PRESSURE. r

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t F 22, 1916,

Application filed September 2, 1914. 'Serial N 0. 859,908.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LCHARLES E. H. ARM- nnosrnu, a citizen of the United States, resid'ing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSystems for the Treatment of Diseases of the HumanBody by Vacuum or Air-Pressure, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to apparatus for the therapeutic treatment of diseases, by vacuum and air-pressure, and its object resides in the provision of a system of coeperative devices by the use-of which different parts of the human body may be relieved from air pressure, subjected to air pressure exceeding atmospheric, or alternately relieved trom pressure and sub ected to air of atmos-,

pheric or higher pressure.

When applied to the thorax of the body, the system may be effectively employed for the treatment of tuberculosis of the lungs,

pneumonia and other pulmonary diseases,

by producing'artificial respiration, and it includes means which may be used while the above treatment is carried on, to aid the circulation of blood of the patient, and to thereby relieve the heart, and heal diseased tissues by forcibly driving the blood into the lungs.

The apparatus comprised in the system case of asphyxiation.

With the above objects in View, I provide a casing which is constructed to be applied to-the. body so as to form an air-tight chamher over or around a part-thereof, anda is controlled by an appliance which includesa mechanically operating :valve; capable of means capable of exhausting air front said chamber. or supplying compressed air to the same, such as acombined haust pump.

The flow ofair between the chamber and the inlet and outlet openings ofthe pump,

pressure and ex:

alternating the flowof air to and from the chamber by directing its passage through a plurality of ports in a housing in which it has its movement. I

Manually adjustable valves for closing or opening the ports above referred to, permit of regulating the supply or exhaust of air to and from the chamber at the will of the operator, it being possible within the range of the appliance, first, to alternately exhaust the air from the chamber and connect it with the atmosphere; second, to alternately exhaust the air from the chamber and introduce air, of more than atmospheric pressure thereinto; third, to alternately drive air under compression into the cham-. her and connect the same with the atmosphere; fourth, to. continuously maintain a supply of compressed air within the chainber; fifth, to continuouslymaintain a partial vacuum within the chamber, and sixth, to continuously place the chamber in communication with the atmosphere.

I The controlling, appliance-also includes meanswhereby the degree to which air is exhausted from the chamberQor-air under compressionis supplied thereto by the ac.- tion of the pump, may be varied at will, and it furthermore provides an adjustment whereby the proportional lengths of the alternateperiods of varying air pressures in the'chamber maybe changed withinjdeter minate, limits. w

. An embodiment of my invention has been. 1 shown'in the accompanying drawings in the variousviews of which like parts are simi larly designated, and in which,

Figure 1 represents a" view of the difierent elements comprised in my system, to

.gether with the means whereby they are cooperatively connected, Fig. 2, a section I along-the line22, Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a section. along the line 3-3, Fig. 1, Fig. 4:, a sectionalong the line 4'4:,Fig. 1, Fig. 5, an elevation of'the element of my system which in its operation isapplied to the human body, in a form adapted to incase the head, and,

Fig. 6, an elevation of the same elementin a form in whichit may be applied to one of thelimbs of the: body. I

The casing whichin the operation ofthe systemiis applied to thebody for producing i an air-tight chamber over or around a part thereof, and the controlling appliance by which the flow of air to and from the casing is-regulated, have been made subjects of separate applications for patent, filed synchronously with the present application, and theirsconstructions will for this reason be but briefly referred to in the following description.

Referring to the drawings by numerical reference characters, the numeral 2 designates a combined pressure and exhaust pump, and 3 an electric motor which has a driving connection therewith. The pump which maybe of any desired construction,

has been shownin the drawings irrthe form of a rotary blower having an air inlet 4 and an air outlet 5.

The casing which in practice is applied to the body of the patient for the production of an air-tight chamber over .or around a diseased part thereof, has beendesignated in the drawings by the numeral 6.

The casing shown in Fig. l'is designed particularly to be placed. around the thorax of a patient for the treatment of pulmonary diseases, and it has been illustrated in connection with'a garment 7 made of soft rubber or other flexible and elastic material, formed to incase the abdomen and lower limbs of the body, for the purp'oseof promoting the circulation of blood while the apparatus is in operation. I desire it understood, however, that the garment does not form an essential part of this element of my system and that the casing may be used separately by merely detaching the garment and closing the end at which it was connected thereto, around the corresponding part of the body.

The casing consists briefly, of two halves which are connected by suitable clamping means and which are composed of material sufficiently rigid to withstand the air pressure either within or without the casing.

The casing has openings as at 8, 9 and 10, to respectively receive the neck, the arms, and the part of the body below the thorax, and surrounding these openings it has means which are adjustable to engage the surface ofthe parts extending therethrough, so as to provide air-tight junctures which oom pletely separate the chamber formed be tween the wall of the casing and the part of the body within. the same, from the surrounding atmosphere. Y

The third element of my system comprises a controlling appliance including an oscillating valve 12 which is operated by means of an electric motor 13 through the instrumentality of a transmission mechanism which in the construction shown, includes a pair of friction disks I4: and 15 and an adjustable wheel 16 which frictionall'y engages the faces" thereof. The disk 14 is operatively connected. with themotor by means of a wormconnection 17, and the shaft of the other disk, 15, carries a crank 18 provided at its end with a rollerwhich during rotation of the said shaft alternately engages two cam faces 19'and 20 on a bar 21. The bar 1s at one offits ends mounted for reciprocation on a rocker arm 2'2 and its opposite end is pivoted on the wrist of a crank 23 which connects with the before mentioned valve 12 exteriorly of its hous-z ing 24. The cam face 19 is formed one. block 27 which is slidably mounted on the bar to which it may be .-secured :in one of two determinate positions by means of a set screw 26, and the other canrfaceiis formed on a block 25 which is similarlymounted5 on an arm 28 which is pivoted to the bar.

as at 29. A set screw 30 on the arm 28 projects through a slotted segment 31sextending in opposite directions from the ban, and serves to secure the arm either in its normal position in alinement with the bar, or in: an-

gular relation to the same at eithersend of thesegment as Fig. 2.

The valve housing indicated in broken lines in 24 comprises a central chamber 32 in which the oscillating "valve 12 is mounted, and three :smaller chambers 33, 34 and. 35 which connect with the firstinentioned chamber by means of ports 36' ports 37, for their adjustment. Thevalves in the. chambers 34. and. 35 are adapted to either open or close the air passages 36 and; at the same time close or open the respec-- tive atmosphere-ports 87, when placed in The: primary chamber 32 has in the the positions determined by theengagement.

of-their. respective handles 1 with the side edges of the ports through which? they extend, and the valve in the chamber 33 is formed to either open or close the, port which? connects the chamber with theatmose phere, while leavingthe passage between.

the same and the primary chamber, conitlnually open. The valve chamber 38 is con..-

opening 4 of the .pump throughthe medium.

of a pipe 42, and a conduit 43 whichi in:-

cludes an oil separator at of suitable construction, 1s provided to connect the 1X11- outlet 5 of the pump with the third chamber 3a..

Having thus briefly described: thewconcooperatively connected, I will now proceed nected withthe body-.casingfi by a conduit 41., the chamber 35connects with the inlet to explain the operation of my invention e and the manner in which the controlling ,ap-fi pliance may be employed to produce the different efiects hereinabove'enumerated.

After the casing has been applied tothe body in the manner hereinbetore described,

the electric circuit in which the two motors are connected, is closed for their actuation,

and-the valves which control the flow of airbetween the pump and the casing, and the primary valve chamber are adjusted in accordance with the effect it is desired-to produce. It will be observed that the'oscillating valve 12 places the continuously open passage 36 of the chamber 33 which connects with the body casing, alternately in connection withthe two chambers 34: and

which respectively connect with the outlet opening and the inlet opening of the pump. Now, when it is desired to alternately exhaust the 'air from the casing 6 anchplace the same in communication with the atmosphere, the valves; are placed in the position shown inthe dwiwings'iu which the atmos phere ports 37 of the chambers 33 and 35.

which respectively connect with the casing 6 and with the inlet of the oum are closed l l i .while the corresponding port-of the chamber 34 which is connected with the air outlet of the pump, is opened and the passage 36 betweenthe last mentioned chamber and the chamberBZ is closed, hen the valve is moved to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the aircontained in the casing-6 will be drawn through the pipe 41 into the chamber 33 and through the therewith comi lnunicating chamber 35 intothe conduit 42- through which it flows to the pump, and the compressed air which at the same time is delivered from the pump through its outlet opening 5 is simultaneously discharged through theport 37 of the chamber 34 with which said opening connects. oscillating valve l2'moves to its other positionwvhich is. indicated in'. Fig. of the drawings in broken lines, the communicaticn between thetwochambers 33, and 35is discontinued and air of atmospheric pressure which had entered the valvechamber through the port 38 isadmitted to the casing 6 through the continually open port 36 of the chamber 33. It follows that the part of the body within the casing is subjected alternately to a partial vacuum and to atmospheric pressure, which" compelsthe lungs of a patient to which the casing is appliedltoact for the inhalation and eXpulsion; of air. and thereby open the air cells closed by disease, dry out the cavities and pus chambers, aid the expulsion of dead matter, and generally strengthen, feed and heal the diseased tissues. Ifin (30111180131011.

with, the casing 6 the rubberigarment 7 is used, the opening of the casing around the part of the body belowthe thorax is left open, but the garment is closedaround thev feet of the patient. When with the memand heal the diseased tissues.

hen the I wherebyto, reduce the eXtentof-the move:

herein this condition air is exhausted from communicating a garment, the external air the chamber in ,the' casing andtheitherewith pressure will cause the latter to collapse and y tightly hug the parts of, the *body around which it is applied, with the result that the blood in the said, parts is driven to the upper portion of the body and into the lungs'to stimulate the heart action and; feed If itis ,de sired to subject the part ofthebody within the casing alternately to atmospheric pres- I sure and air pressure. -exceeding, atmose" pheric, the positions of the. valves in the chambers 34: and 35 are reversed with the result that by the oscillating movement of thevalve 12 the chamber 33 is placed alternately in communication with the atmosphere and with the outlet opening of the pumpinstead of with the inlet opening; as above. Should'it be requiredtocontinu v ously maintain a partial vacuum: in the, casing, the motor 13' is stopped, the valve 12;

placed inthe position v shown in :full lines" in F i g and the valves in the chambers 34: and 35 placed in the positions inwhich they have been shown in the same figure To maintain a continuous air pressure Qmore than atmospheric, in the casing, theyalve 12 is moved to the pesition shown in broken lines andthe position of the valves inthe chambers 35 and 3e are' jreversed, afndto connect the casing continuously with the atmosphere, it is but necessary to open the port 37 of the'chamber 33 by adjustment of the correspondingvalve. v

The degree of vacuum produced in the casing 6 during the operation of thesystem may be varied by partially openingthe port arc in the'circle of inovementofthe,roller 7 at the end of the cra nk 18 between the ends 5 of the faces 19 and 2 0, which normally are equal, are difierently proportionediandthe valve 12 will remain longer in one of its positions thanin the other.

If -it is desired ;to e'itect the diiierent changes in thefiow ofair to and from'the casing by meansother thanthe' valves in the chambers and the ports 137 of the latter may both ibe closed and one or the other of the blocks 25 and27 moved/to a position farther away from the center-of the circle in which the roller has its-motion,

In Fig. 5 of the drawings has been shown a form of the body casing which; adapts it to incase the head of a patient. The casing which like the one hereinbefore described is composed of complementary halves, is tightly closed around the neck, and it has a glass-covered opening through which the face of the patient may be observed. By alternately exhausting air from a casing thus applied and admit-ting air of atmospheric or higher pressure into the same, respiration is artificially produced'by alternately forcing air directly into the lungs and exhausting all. or part of the same, a

treatment which is especially beneficial in.

case of asphyxiation.

The form of the casing illustrated in Fig. 6, 1s designed to be placed around apart of the arm or leg, of the patient for the purpose of artificially producing hyperemia to feed thetissues of the part within the casing with extra quantities of blood in case of mal-nutrition or anemia.

It will be understood that inste'adi of using the rubber garment 7 in connection with the air-tightcasing 6, another similar casing as for example that shown in Fi 6, may be applied to another part of the b dy and air of morethan atmospheric presgiire introduced thereinto at the same time hat air is exhausted from the first-mentioned casing".v Two or more of the casings may in this manner be used for other purposes as well and their connection with the pump can be regulated either by one controlling appliance or by separate appliances 5 Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Lett .rs-

Patent is: I

1. In a systemof the. character descri ed, a device capable of being applied to the human body for producing an air-tight chamber over or around a part thereof, a

suction-producing element, and an appliance which automatically places the said chamber alternately in communication with the said element and with the atmosphere, and which includes means for. its adjustment to place the chamber continuously in .com-

munication with either the atmosphere or the said. element. i

2. Ina s'ystemof the character described, a

device capable of being applied to thehuman' body for producing an air-tight chamber over. or around a part thereof, a I

source of filllCl-PIBSSUIB, and an appliance which automatlcally placesthe' said cham-- ber-alternatelyin communication with the said source and with the atmosphere, and

which: includes means for its adjustment to place the chamber continuously in" come: munication with either the atmosphere or the said source. r

3. In a system of the character described, a device capable of'being applied J to the human body for producingan air-tight chamber over or around "a part thereof, a fluid-exhaust and compression element having fluid admission and delivery ports in: connection with said chamber, and an ap pliance in said connection which automati= cally places the said chamber alternately i112,

communication with the said admission-port and the said delivery port and which includes means for its adjustment to place the chamber continuously in communication with either port. g

In a system of the character described, a device capable of being applied to the human body for producing a an air-tight chamber over or around a part thereof, a fluid-exhaust and compression-element hav'-; ing fluid admission and delivery ports in. connection with said chamber, and an appliance in said connections which auto-mati-.-

cally places the said chamber alternately in communication witltthe said admission-port and the said delivery port and which includes means for its adjustment to varythe partial vacuum or the pressure produced; in the'chamber by its connection with tliezsaid element, to a selected degree, ortoplace the chamber continuously in communication with either ports 5. In a system of the character described, a device capable of being applied tothe human body for producing: an air-tight chamber over or I around a part'thereof, a fluid exhaust and compression element hav ing fluid-admission and delivery ports. in connection with said chamber, and an appliance in said connections, which is-adjustable to place theichamber in continuous communication with either port.

6. In a system of the-character described,

a device capable of being appliedito the" human body for producing an air-tight chamber over or around apart thereof, a. fluid exhaust and compression. element having fluid admission and deliveryports-in connection with said chamber and an. appliance which automatically controls the connections of said chamber with the said ports and with the atmosphere and'ivhich? includes means for its adjustment to lace the chamber alternately in communication with either port and with the atmosphere, or to place the same continuously in icom -i municat-ion with either port or with the atmosphere. g I

7 In a-system'of the character described, a device capable of being, applied to the human body' for producing, an ai1"-'ti, ;ht chamber over or around a part thereof, a 1 fluid-exhaust and compression element havto place the same alternately in communication with the admission port and the delivery port, or to place the same continuously in communication with either port or with the atmosphere. I

8. Ina system of the character described,

- a device capable of being applied to the human body for producing an air-tight chamber over or around a part thereof, a fluid-exhaust and compression element having fluid admission and delivery ports in connection with said chamber, and an appliance which automatically controls the connections of said chamber with the said ports and with the atmosphere and which includes means for its adjustment to place the chamber. alternately in communication with eitherport and with the atmosphere to place the same alternately in communication with the admission-port and the de-. livery port, to place the same continuously m commimication with either port or with the atmosphere, and to vary the partial vacuum or the pressure produced in the chamber by its connection with the element, to a selected degree. 7

Inc-testimony whereof I have afilxed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. H. ARMBRUSTER. Witnesses: F. H. CUNo,

L. RHQADES. 1

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents;

Washington, D. C. 

